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- 210728-078 Hopi Snake Priest Kachina / Katsina Doll; 9" by QT
210728-078 Hopi Snake Priest Kachina / Katsina Doll; 9" by QT
Hopi Kachina / Katsina Doll; 9" by QT
Late 20th Century
Hand Carved Cottonwood Root
Considered the brothers of the Hopi people, snakes play an important and mysterious role in Hopi culture. One of the most well-known Hopi rituals, the Snake Dance is a rain ceremony held in late August. This dance is performed to honor Hopi ancestors and to aid the snakes in carrying prayers for rain to the underworld.
A 16 day celebration is held to prepare for the Snake Dance, which takes place on the last day of festivities. Throughout the weeks leading up to the dance itself prayer sticks, sandpaintings and an altar are made. Sacred water, green corn stalks and beans are all placed upon the altar to represent the rain.
Each year a boy and a girl around the age of 14 are chosen to represent the Snake Youth and Antelope Maid throughout the festivities. Dressed in white, the children stand in front of the sand painting while their legends are shared with the community.
Snake priests and boys of the Snake Clan gather snakes a few days before the dance while foot races are held in the villages. The winner of the first race receives a prayer plume to plant in his field for a good harvest and the winner of the second race is provided a jar of sacred water to pour over his crops.
A kachina (/kəˈtʃiːnə/; also katchina, katcina, or katsina; Hopi: katsina [kaˈtsʲina], plural katsinim [kaˈtsʲinim]) is a spirit being in the religious beliefs of the Pueblo peoples, Native American cultures located in the south-western part of the United States. Dolls are carved traditionally as teaching tools for the children as Oral Traditions as facilitated with the dolls. Each doll has a story associated, sometimes historical events, sometimes the physical world and sometimes the mystical. In the Pueblo cultures, kachina rites are practiced by the Hopi, Zuni, Hopi-Tewa, and certain Keresan tribes, as well as in most Pueblo tribes in New Mexico.
Due to the fragile nature of kachina dolls, we do not guarantee they will not break during shipping. We do our best to pack them well, but due to their fragile nature and even with the best packing, small pieces can break. If you are purchasing kachina dolls, please keep this in mind.